地獄少女：月の第四 (Hell Girl: Fourth Moon)
by Jason S. Black
Summary: You're invited to a retelling of Hell Girl's season 4. Twenty years after the events of "Three Vessels", people still use Hell Link to banish people to Hell; however, what happens when Ai's curse spreads outside Japan's borders? Explore the latest generation of revenge in "Fourth Moon." Current chapter: 壊れた愛 (Broken Love) [NOTE: FOURTH MOON IS CURRENTLY ON HIATUS AS OF 11/9/18]
1. Foreigner

**Chapter 1:** **外人** **(Foreigner)**

"Welcome to the Hotel Katashi! How can I help you?"

A raven-haired woman looked over at the front desk worker, Onna, for a second before returning to cleaning the mirrors in the lobby; the afternoon sun reflecting off of them made the lobby walls shimmer. A small sigh escaped her lips, but she heard something from Onna that made her heart stop.

"Ah, Takahama-san! It's a pleasure to see you!"

She looked in the mirror and saw a 49-year-old man dressed in a fine suit, and she immediately felt her stomach sour. She froze as his eyes caught hers, and she tensed as he began to head her way. She turned around to offer the man a big smile and a bow.

"Takahama-san! Good afternoon!"

He smiled when he looked at her, but his eyes narrowed. He stepped over to her and leaned in. "Good afternoon, Jisoo." She shivered at the close proximity and when he stepped back, she resumed smiling.

"Jisoo-chan, I need you to go and clean room 713. The businessmen staying there had too much to drink, so they made a mess of the room. It will probably take a couple of hours, so please hurry." She gave another quick bow.

"Yes, sir." When she turned around, another of the housekeeping staff was standing right behind her, and she jumped. "Mina, you scared me!"

Mina laughed. "That was the point. Here, I'll help you clean room 713. Let's go." They walked off, and a smile crept onto Hone Onna's lips.

 _It's amazing how tranquil things look on the surface._

As they walked down the hallway to the elevator bank, Mina turned to Jisoo.

"Park-chan, why do you allow him to treat you so inappropriately?"

Jisoo sighed. "It's not inappropriate. Besides, he took me in and gave me a job here so I can send money to my parents in Korea. I'm very lucky to work for a man like Takahama-san."

Mina chuckled. "Are you a robot or something? Did he program you to say that?" Jisoo simply looked at the floor until they got into the elevator, and Mina sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't say things like that. I think it's wonderful that Takahama-san is providing you with such an opportunity." Mina put a hand on Jisoo's shoulder, but the latter flinched as soon as the hand made contact. Mina frowned, but said nothing.

The elevator stopped on the 7th floor and both women got out; Mina retrieved the supply cart while Jisoo waited. When they got to room 713 and opened the door, they were both hit with the stench of vomit. Jisoo's heart dropped; since wealthy people often stayed at the hotel, Takahama would let them do as they wished, even going so far as not to charge them for damages to the rooms. Of course, the staff still had to clean up the mess on a barely livable wage.

They set to work, but before she could start, Jisoo sat on the bed and began to sob. Mina ran over and sat down beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder again.

"What's wrong?"

Jisoo sniffled. "I'm sorry. I just miss my family. It's been 5 years since I've seen them."

"No, no, it's normal to miss your family if you haven't seen them for that long! It's okay."

"I know, but I haven't been to Korea since then, either." Jisoo rested her head on her co-worker's shoulder. "I wish I could go back, but I send the money I make back to them."

Mina put an arm around her. "I think that you're a good person for doing that for your family. You work every day of the week into the evening. Maybe you should talk to Takahama-san about taking a vacation back to Korea." Rather than the happiness she was expecting, Jisoo started crying even harder. They finished cleaning the room after she calmed down, and before they knew it, they were done. They both got off of the elevator at the 1st floor, and Mina looked at her watch.

"Oh, no! My shift ended a hour ago! I'm sorry, but I have to head home before Takahama-san notices I'm still here. See you!" She ran off, leaving Jisoo alone in the lobby with Onna and Ren, a security guard. Just as she took a step forward, Mr. Takahama entered the room and she froze. While his smile at the sight of her may have looked warm, what she saw froze the blood in her veins.

"Jisoo-chan, what are you still doing here? It's very late. You should go home."

She bowed. "Yes, sir. Thank you." He put a hand on her shoulder, and she found herself desperately wishing that he wore gloves when his finger brushed her neck for a moment.

"Now, let me escort you to the back entrance."

"Thank you, Takahama-san. Let's go."

Hone-Onna teeth grit behind her lips. "What do you think?"

Ichimokuren chuckled. "I think that the Miss has her work cut out for her. I can sense her anguish from here."

"As can I. Let's just hope that this girl doesn't die before she has a chance to access the homepage."

They followed the black marble path inlaid in the lobby's floor, past the front desk and to an employee hallway. As they rounded a corner, Jisoo stopped when she heard keys rattling. When she turned around, she saw Takahama unlocking a door. As soon as it was open, he walked over and grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the door. She started crying when he let go, making her stumble into a utility closet.

He stepped in, turned on the light, and locked the door behind him, and she let out a small gasp when she saw the tangible change in his demeanor. "Jisoo, Onna informed me that Mina helped you clean room 713."

She took a shuddering breath. "Yes, sir."

He stopped mere inches from her. "You must be punished for your disobedience." She nodded her head and every muscle in her body went rigid. She hit the floor when he backhanded her, and he adjusted his tie.

"Now, as additional punishment, you will not be working tomorrow. Oh, and Mina will no longer be working here, thanks to you." He turned off the light and left the closet, locking the door again. Jisoo felt around until she found the dingy mattress lying on the floor and she crawled onto it. Although she wanted to cry, she knew that would earn her even more punishment.

Two days later, Takahama let her out of the closet and put Jisoo to work early in the morning, being sure to let her know that she would be covering the morning shift, as well as Mina's former evening shift. As long as she didn't step out of line, she knew there wouldn't be more punishment.

When she walked into the lobby, Onna and Ren stopped talking and stared at her. She could have sworn, however, that she could hear Onna mention something being Jisoo's fault; she knew in an instant that the desk worker was referring to Mina's dismissal. This didn't surprise her, as Mina was well-liked among the staff. As she walked down a hallway, she stopped when she heard someone knocking at a side entrance. She looked around before going to open it; she prepared to let someone know that they had to go to the front desk if they lost their key. When she opened the door, she gasped when she saw Mina standing on the other side. A smile lit up her face, and she stepped forward to embrace her friend.

"Mina, I'm sorry. Please forgive me." A tear rolled down her cheek as she got down on her knees and touched her forehead to the floor in front of her. Mina felt a pain in her chest as she helped Jisoo up and embraced her again.

"I can't forgive you. There's nothing to forgive. I know why he fired me, but don't worry! Everything's okay. I have a new job already." Mina smiled, and Jisoo stepped back, still crying.

"I'm very glad to hear that. You deserve to work at a better hotel."

"So do you! Why do you stay here, working for a man like Takahama?"

Jisoo froze. "I...I owe him a debt."

"What kind of debt? If it's money, that's easy. I can help with that." Jisoo shook her head.

"Jisoo, what do you-" Mina's heart stopped when another possibility entered her mind. "Are you...are you his slave?" Jisoo nodded.

"Oh my god. We need to get you out of here. _Now_." Mina grabbed her arm, but she pulled it away.

"I can't. He can find me if I leave, and if I do, he said he would-" Jisoo started sobbing.

Mina hugged her. "Don't worry. I promise you that I will find a way to get you away from him." She paused, and then a smile started to cross her lips. "Jisoo, have you heard of Hell Link?"

"No."

"It's a website you can only access at midnight, but if you do, you can enter someone's name and Hell Girl will take them to Hell for you. Do you have access to a computer?"

"No."

MIna sighed. "Wait. Onna always leaves her mobile phone on the desk while she works. Do you think you can get to it at midnight?"

"No. Takahama-san locks me in at night."

Mina put a hand over her mouth. "Okay. Don't worry. I'll find a key in the desk or something. Just be ready around midnight." Jisoo nodded and went back inside, feeling a gentle warmth in her chest as she went about her work for the day. That night, Takahama approached her, sporting a particularly luxe suit.

"Jisoo, I'll be attending a gala tonight, so you'll have to go home early." Jisoo nodded and followed him to the back hallway, offering no resistance as she stepped into the closet and sat down on the mattress.

"I'll be away until tomorrow afternoon, so you won't be working." He closed and locked the door, but a couple seconds after he left the hallway, she heard metal hit the tile outside the door. She barely breathed as she crawled toward the small slit of light coming from under it, and time came to a crashing halt.

He'd dropped the key to the closet. She felt around for anything that might help her reach it, but all she could find was a wire hanger, undone by her hands. She bent the end into a hook and stuck it under the door; when she did, someone approached the door picked up the key. Putting her arms and knees in front of her face, she bowed her head and waited for her boss to strike her again; however, she heard a different voice.

"Jisoo! It's 11:45. We need to go." She looked up to see Mina and tears started streaming down her face, but a smile lit it up like a beacon. She didn't say a word as her friend stepped into the room and turned on the light, closing the door behind her. Mina took a seat on the floor, unable to put her reaction to the ghastly conditions into words. She shook her head to clear it and cleared her throat. "We have 15 minutes until we get out of here, but until then...could I ask you what happened?" Jisoo swallowed a lump and nodded; she could remember five years ago it like it was yesterday.

 _Heat hung heavy in the air of Gangnam, and on the outskirts, away from the glitz and glamour of the Three DIstricts, sat the village of Guryong. Jisoo had spent her entire life there, but her parents always had her go into Gangnam to ask people for money. Her face burned red every time she did it, but her parents said that she could get more money than either of them._

 _One day, a man stopped on the sidewalk to look at her. He smiled, but his expression gave her a sour feeling in her stomach. In perfect Korean, he introduced himself as Mr. Takahama from Japan and asked her where she lived. When she told him she lived in Guryong, his face lit up. He told her that he'd like to talk to her parents about taking her in and giving her a better life; despite the sour feeling, she took him to meet her parents._

 _When they met, Takahama asked her to wait outside their shanty as he discussed things with her parents. She did, and when he came out, he told her that her parents were very happy that her daughter had such an opportunity. She packed what little she had and went with him._

 _They arrived at a dock in Gangnam, and he led her onto a boat ramp, stopping only to hand something to the workers that met them. As soon as they were on board, he led her over to a trapdoor in the deck floor. When he opened it, she started shaking when she realized that she couldn't see anything in the opening. A yelp escaped her lips as she fell into a holding space not much taller or wider than her._

" _Wait! What are you doing?"_

" _I have to smuggle you into Japan. Do you think I could take you by airplane? They would never allow you into the country that way. Now, be quiet until I open this door again." He closed the trapdoor, leaving her in total darkness. She started crying as she realized that he had lied to her._

 _When the boat docked, Takahama opened the trapdoor and hoisted her out, immediately taking her by the arm and running to a car waiting on the dock. He gave something to the dock workers again, and before she knew it, she was off. She started trembling when he locked the car doors._

" _Here are the terms of my deal. You belong to me, and you will work for me in my hotel as a maid. If you try to run away, believe me, I will find you, and the consequences will be severe."_

 _Her terror was written all over her face. "Wait! My parents didn't sell me to you!"_

 _He laughed. "Jisoo, they were more than happy to sell you as long as they could buy more drugs." She broke down crying, and he kept laughing. "Now, be a good girl and be quiet until we get to my house."_

Mina was crying as Jisoo finished her story, but a look at her watch told her that they didn't have time to waste.

"Let's go. I have a friend helping me."

They ran quietly down the hall, toward the front desk. Mina put a hand out to stop Jisoo and checked her watch: 11:58PM. She poked her head around the corner; when she saw her friend, she nodded to him. He walked into the lobby, and when Onna asked him how she could help him, he threw the contents of his water bottle at her. Onna gasped and yelled for security, and he went around the desk and stole her jacket. As soon as she noticed, he took off down one of the hallways, Onna hot on his trail.

"JIsoo! Go!" Mina gave Jisoo's shoulder a push, and that was all the motivation Jisoo needed to run over to the front desk. As soon as she reached for Onna's phone, she stopped when Ren came running into the lobby.

"Jisoo! Which way did he go?" She pointed down the hallway they'd taken; he thanked her and ran off. She snatched Onna's phone from the desk and ran back to Mina.

"There's no time to celebrate. It's midnight." Mina took the phone and entered the URL to Hell LInk before handing the phone back. "Hit 'Submit'."

Jisoo did, and a flame flared up as the screen went black. She read the only text on the page: _I will cleanse your bitterness._ She quickly entered Takahama's name and hit 'Submit', and almost immediately, the screen turned red with a couple lines of text.

 _I have received your request._

 _Hell GIrl_

When she looked up from the screen, she jumped when she realized she was in a completely different place. A lone, tall tree stood in the middle of a grassy field, and the sun was setting.

"You called?" She started again when she saw a girl with black hair and red eyes wearing a schoolgirl's uniform spoke.

"Who are you?"

"I am Enma Ai."

"Hell...Girl?"

Ai held out a black straw doll with a red thread tied around its neck. "Take this." Jisoo did. "If you really want retribution, pull the red thread. By pulling it, you will enter into a covenant with me. The object of your retribution will immediately be ferried to Hell; however, once you have your retribution, you will have to pay the price for it as well."

Jisoo swallowed a lump in her throat. "What price?"

"When you curse a person, two graves are dug. After you die, your soul will also be ferried to Hell. Unable to enter Heaven, your soul will wander in torment and agony for eternity." Jisoo looked at the ground as it turned into a lake of fire, and she screamed as she was slowly lowered into it until she was submerged. The illusion vanished, and only Hell Girl stood before her. "That's only after you die, though." In a split second, Jisoo found herself outside of the front of the hotel.

" _The rest is for you to decide._ " She looked down at the straw doll in her hand, and her fingers wrapped around it. Gritting her teeth, she set out with one destination in mind. She passed Wanyuudo, one of the custodial staff, and he reached out as she passed to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Jisoo, are you okay?"

"Yes." She put her hand on his before continuing her journey. As she turned the corner at the end of the block, Wanyuudo let out a _hmph._

"What's wrong?" Hone-Onna materialized behind him, dressed in her kimono again.

"Nothing. I'm just worried about her intentions."

Ren laughed. "She intends to send someone to Hell. Why should that bother you?"

Though he couldn't see her, Wanyuudo could still sense her. "Those aren't the intentions I'm talking about."

A small sigh escaped Hone-Onna. "I know exactly what you're referring to."

It was around 2AM when Takahama and his wife, Naoko, returned from the gala. It had been a lavish affair as usual, and he had even managed to make a few important business connections; Naoko took a liking to the Hawaiian wine they'd served, and both her and her husband had more than a couple of glasses. Their laughing caused a small ruckus as they got out of the chauffeured black town car, but they shushed each other so as not to wake the neighbors.

When they stepped through the front doorway, Takahama entered a code to turn off the alarm, and when he turned around, he dropped his keyring. Jisoo had her arm locked around Naoko, and he blanched when he saw the blade in her hand pressing against his wife's throat.

"Jisoo, what are you doing? How did you get out?!" He stepped forward, but she put more pressure on the knife.

"If you come any closer, I swear that I'll kill her. Do you understand?" The steel in her eyes cut through him, and he nodded.

"Why are you doing this? Haven't I been gracious to you?"

Jisoo laughed. "Gracious? What, by locking me in a closet for five years? For making me work my fingers to the bone without paying me? Or was it when you bought me from my parents in Korea?" She felt Naoko's muscles loosen.

"Is this true?"

"Darling, I-"

"Is what she saying true?" Naoko's voice trembled as she raised it to her husband.

"Yes."

Tears started falling down her face, and her hand went to her purse. "I can't believe this. I can't believe I stayed married to a man who could do such awful things." She removed a black straw doll from her bag, and his eyes went wide.

"No! Don't!" He took a step forward, but stopped when she grabbed the thread.

"Why shouldn't I? I should have done this when I found out about your affair with Onna. I feel so stupid."

"Naoko, we can talk about this, please. Just don't pull that thread." He took another step forward, and she pulled the string a fraction of an inch.

"There won't be any talking about this. I can't stand to look at you now that I know what you've done to this poor girl. Maybe you'll get the punishment you deserve in Hell." She took a step forward and ran her throat across the knife. Hot blood cascaded down Jisoo's hand, and she screamed and dropped the knife.

"NO!" He ran forward as she collapsed, and she let out gurgling breaths when she hit the floor. He put his hand under her head and kissed her forehead, and he turned his head just in time to see her pull the thread. The doll in Jisoo's pocket vanished, as did Naoko's, and a booming voice rang through the room.

 _I have heard your request._

Naoko's head dropped to the floor as he vanished right in front of Jisoo.

In the Realm of Eternal Twilight, Ai floated on her back in the pool outside of the house, looking up as flower petals wafted in the wind. Her hair swam around her, and her hyoku caressed her skin. A chime rang through the air, and her head lifted slightly out of the water.

"Ai? I've put out your nagajuban by the fire." Ai stood up as water cascaded down her body.

"Thank you, Grandmother." Steady steps took her out of the pool and into the house, water droplets marking her trail as she did. Her under-kimono slid on with no effort, and her kimono billowed around her as she put it on. Tying her obi, she swept her hair over her shoulder, letting her sleeve hang for a few moments.

"Wanyuudo."

"Yes, Mistress." In the blink of an eye, he became her carriage. As soon as she was seated, Wanyuudo blazed through the sky and over the hills in the distance.

When Takahama lifted his head, Jisoo vanished in front of his eyes. He gasped, then felt the body in his arms start to move; he screamed when Naoko's eyes opened.

"Why did you do this to me?" She made a gurgling noise as blood came from her mouth, and he dropped her on the floor. When she landed, Hone-Onna had taken her place.

He screamed again. "It's not my fault! She killed herself!" Ren appeared behind him and wrapped his arms around the man.

"Why did she want to kill herself, then?" Ren stepped back through the wall, but his arm remained to keep Takahama pinned to the wall.

"It's not my fault! If Jisoo hadn't had the knife, she wouldn't have been able to kill herself!" Wanyuudo came out of the wall in the full blazing glory of his original form.

"It was your actions that drove her there! Your greed, your selfishness, and your utter lack of disregard for human life drove her there." Takahama closed his eyes.

"No! It was her fault!" Hone-Onna materialized in front of him.

"So, you don't wish to repent for your sins? Very well. Miss?" Ai appeared at the end of the hallway.

"O pitiful shadow bound in darkness, looking down on people and causing them pain… A damned soul wallowing in sin…" She looked him in the eye as she appeared right in front of him. "Want to try dying this once?" He let out one last scream as the flowers from Ai's sleeve engulfed him.

When he came to, the sloshing of water floated through the air as he felt the ground moving. He sat up and saw an endless black lake around him, shrouded in fog. His hands brushed the smooth wood of the boat he lied in, and he let out a small gasp when he saw Ai.

"Naoko?" A tear rolled down his cheek.

"No." She kept the boat going with fluid strokes of the pole. He looked down, then back up at her, a trembling smile on his face.

"Perhaps I will see Jisoo in Hell."

"I ferry this grievance to Hell." She guided the boat through the black torii gate as a chime rang through the still air around them.

The next day, the lobby and the sidewalks outside of the Hotel Katashi played host to a crowd of gawkers, busibodies, reporters, and police. Everyone had a million questions, but the main one was, "Where was Mr. Takahama?". Ren did his best to keep anyone who wasn't law enforcement and reporters out of the rest of the hotel, and Hone-Onna did her best to field the endless supply of telephone calls. She hung up the receiver and glanced over to Ren.

"I'm glad Wanyuudo's fears didn't come to pass." He nodded.

"Me too. I wonder what Jisoo will do now?" In the midst of the crowd's clamor, a woman managed to slip through it unnoticed (by everyone besides Wanyuudo and Ai across the street). As she got closer to the lobby doors, her shoulder bumped that of a blonde American woman.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Please excuse me." The American rattled the words out in perfect Japanese, and Jisoo smiled as she walked away. The utter chaos of the lobby was music to her ears, and she stood among it with an elegant dress draped over her. When she caught sight of her reflection in a lobby mirror and pulled her sunglasses further down on her nose, she almost didn't recognize herself wearing Naoko's clothing.

 _Maybe this is for the best. For starting a new life._

Her smile only faltered as she glimpsed the mark that looked like it was branded onto her chest; the mark of her eventual fate. She smiled again and walked out of the lobby, resolving to enjoy her time before an eternity in Hell.


	2. Two Faces

**Chapter 2:** **両面** **(Two Faces)**

"Passengers, we have now begun our descent into Tokyo. Please ensure that your tray tables and seats are in the upright position, and that your electronics are off or in airplane or game mode at this time. Thank you!" A cheerful chime signaled the end of the announcement, and everyone on the plane let out a sigh of relief. The wear from a trans-Atlantic flight took its toll on everyone.

"Are you okay, Otome?" One of the passengers, Kenji, put a hand on Otome's shoulder; her gaze was fixed on the ground far below them, and she jumped when he touched her.

"Huh? Oh, yes, I'm fine. I'm just anxious to get home." Her lower lip trembled as she smiled, but it was enough for Kenji.

"Isn't that how vacations are? You never want them to end, and then you can't wait to be home." He chuckled, closing the solitaire game he had going on his tablet. "It's okay. We had a wonderful time in California." She nodded, but her eyes kept drifting over to the window. His hand wrapped around hers, and she tensed for a moment before settling back in her seat.

"There's going to be so much to do when we get home. I'll need to take care of the laundry." She bit her lip as she feigned interest in the magazine from the seat pocket in front of her. Kenji laughed again.

"You keep forgetting about the housekeeping staff. They can take care of the laundry."

"I'm sorry. I'm not used to it because we didn't have housekeeping staff when I grew up." His hand gave hers a slight squeeze.

"I know, and it's okay. You can get used to it now that we're to be married."

"Are you sure your parents are okay with us living in the same house before we're married?" Kenji shrugged.

"Not at all. They practically insisted on it."

A small laugh escaped her lips, but the closer the plane got to landing, the more the weight on her chest pressed down.

After the landing, the car ride home passed in silence, and he excused himself to his room as soon as they got home. Their elegant two-story house stood as pristine as the other brand-new houses in the neighborhood, from the hardwood flooring to the living room's floor-to-ceiling windows. She slipped her shoes off at the door and ran upstairs, passing by his bedroom door as she did. As soon as she put her hand on the knob to her room's door, his opened and she froze. He took a few steps toward her and grasped her arm; without a word, they went into her room and closed the door behind them.

The next day, she was sure to be up at sunrise to start cooking breakfast. The house was quiet, and she did her best not to disturb it before her fiancé woke up. Her hands flew as she worked with the utensils, and in no time, she had a big, nutritious breakfast for Kenji, including a big cup of coffee to help him through the morning. Although he was usually in the kitchen for breakfast at 6AM, it was 6:30 when he came downstairs. She smiled when she saw him, but as soon as she saw the look on his face, she froze. He paced over to the table and picked up the cup of coffee.

"I'm late, so I don't have time to eat breakfast. You shouldn't have wasted your time cooking." Her lower lip trembled at the casualness in his remark. His face screwed up when he took a drink, and he threw the cup onto the floor; she jumped as it hit the wood floor and shattered. "Clean that up." She did her best to steady herself.

"Won't the housekeeping staff take care of this?" He chuckled at her.

"We don't have any housekeeping staff. I expected you would take care of all that once you started living here." The smile on his face froze the blood in her veins, but she bowed her head.

"Yes, right away." As he left the house, a tear ran down her cheek as she looked for a rag.

When all the pieces were cleaned up, she filled up the kettle to make tea she sorely needed. As the water heated, she picked up her phone and hit REDIAL.

"Hello?"

"Dad? it's Otome."

"Otome! How's my favorite daughter doing today?" Despite the morning she'd had, she chuckled, like she had every time he cracked that joke.

"Dad, I'm your only daughter."

"I know, I know. I'm just so proud of you."

"Thank you. It means a lot to me. But…"

"But what? Have you two already had an argument?"

"No, nothing like that. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine, but is everything okay? You sound worried." She found herself blushing.

"No, no. I'm just due for a dress fitting in a few hours and I'm nervous."

"Hm." Her heart skipped a beat when he said that. "That's understandable. Marriage is a big deal."

"Yes, I know. Mom has impressed that upon me my whole life."

"In any case, I'm fine, but please, call me if you need anything." Her lower lip trembled.

"Thanks, Dad. I love you."

"I love you too. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." She set her phone down and poured water from the kettle into her waiting cup. On the ceiling, a giant green eye closed and vanished. Outside, a man raked leaves into orderly piles for collection; while he may not have had in-house staff, the appearance of the grounds was tantamount. Wanyuudo removed his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow while he leaned his rake against a tree. He chuckled as Ren stepped out from behind it.

"What do you think?" Wanyuudo picked the rake up again and resumed raking. Ren shrugged.

"I think we've only seen the beginning of this. She's nowhere near the point where she'd access the homepage."

"We'll see."

Later that night, she spent the better part of an hour in the kitchen preparing dinner, but a bitter taste flooded her mouth when she set Kenji's place. A quick glance at the clock told her he'd be home in five minutes, and she took the opportunity to open the sleek brown cabinet in the dining room. Taking a pale green bottle, she poured sake into one of the small cups on top of the cabinet and downed it. The liquor burned her throat, but a sip from her water glass on the table took care of it. Feeling a faint warmth creeping outward from her stomach, she put the bottle back just in time to hear the front door open.

As she went into the foyer, Kenji immediately went upstairs, but as he did, she caught a strange look on his face, almost as if he was in pain just from seeing her. She opened her mouth to call out to him, but she knew better when his bedroom door flew open and into the wall. The bang made her jump, and quick steps took her into the dining room. Kenji entered shortly after, but the pain on his face had gone completely cold. Without a word, she served them both and sat down as soon as she was done, and a bit of the pressure in her chest lightened as he picked up his chopsticks and started eating. After one bite, however, he set them down.

"What is this?" Her head bowed.

"Ramen with tonkatsu." She looked up to meet his eyes; they bored right into her.

"It tastes like garbage." She sniffled.

"I'm sorry. I tried a recipe that I found online." He looked at the bowl in front of him, then back at her. In one fluid motion, he picked up the bowl and flung it; it flew over her head and hit the wall behind her with a crash. Hot soup and breaded pork rained down on her, but she dared not make a sound.

"Clean that up. Then put on something nice that doesn't show too much cleavage. We're going to a party at my boss' penthouse." With that, he left the dining room and went upstairs, closing his bedroom door with a slam. As she went into the kitchen to get rags, she stopped at the counter by the sink and started crying as she wiped the soup from her shoulders and hair.

In the Realm of Eternal Twilight, Ai sat on the patio in her school uniform, stacking pebbles on top of each other, never getting to more than 4 high before they fell over. Hone-Onna stepped out of the house and waited until Ai put her pebble down and looked at her.

"Miss, please pardon the interruption. I wanted to talk to you about our latest investigation." Ai nodded ever so slightly. "I want to help this woman." Grandmother's voice floated out from inside her room.

"Hone-Onna, you must not interfere as you did with the last request." Hone-Onna bowed her head.

"Forgive me. But in regards to the newest case…"

"Hone-Onna." Ai finally spoke. "We cannot interfere." Hone-Onna gave a deep bow, clenching her teeth behind her lips as she did.

"Yes, Miss."

Back in Tokyo, neither Kenji nor Otome had said nothing to each other on the ride to the penthouse, but furtive glances told her that the pain in his face was back. When they got to the penthouse, however, the pain had morphed into a smile, and she did her best to imitate that. If anyone he worked with found out that anything was wrong…

The building's elevator took them to the top floor, and the doors opened to reveal a modern, well-furnished suite. Single fresh flowers in transparent vases decorated every table, and the floors were inlaid with mahogany. Kenji's boss was the first to greet them, and Otome flashed him a big smile.

"Welcome to my house. Please, enjoy the food and drink." The older man bowed to them, and they did the same.

"Thank you, sir. Your invitation meant a lot to us." Kenji put a hand on her shoulder, and she flinched.

"Ah, so you're the fianceé I've heard so much about! It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Kenji can't stop talking about you at the office. I'm Miko." She bowed again.

"Thank you! I'm very honored to marry him." Kenji gave her a sideways glance when she said this.

"Well, I'm off to socialize. Please, enjoy yourselves!" After thanking him again, they went over to the food table and started adding hors-d'oeuvres to small porcelain plates with bone chopsticks. Kenji turned around when a woman approached them.

"Kenji! I'm so glad to see you here!" He smiled when he saw the woman.

"Onna! It's good to see you as well. Please, let me introduce you to my fianceé, Otome." Onna bowed to Otome.

"It's a pleasure to meet you! Kenji talks about you so much at the office. He's a very lucky man." Onna caught the other woman's gaze, sensing her pain immediately. A waiter, Ren, approached them with a tray of champagne flutes.

"Champagne?" He held the tray out to the women and bowed as he did so. All three of them thanked him as they took a glass, and Onna narrowed her eyes at him.

 _Remember, the MIss said not to interfere._ His words sounded in her head, and she scoffed at him. She held out her glass to Otome.

"To marriage. Congratulations to you both. Cheers!" They all downed the contents of their glasses in one go, and Onna called out to Ren to replenish them. A few glasses later, Onna pulled a pack of cigarettes out of her purse and looked at the couple.

"Do either of you smoke?" Kenji shook his head, but Otome looked over at him; after a subtle nod, she accepted Onna's offer. Both women went out onto the balcony, and Onna lit Otome's cigarette for her.

"Let me ask you a question. I have a boyfriend who...well, a boyfriend who," she leaned in closer to Otome, "mistreats me sometimes." She leaned back. "As a woman, I could use your insight. What do you think I should do?"

"Dump him." Another woman, Kyoko, flung her cigarette over the balcony railing and crossed her arms as she leaned against it. "Leave him and find someone more worthwhile." She took a drink from the glass in her hand.

"I've tried, but he always says something that makes me want to stay with him. I'm not sure what else I can do."

"What about Hell Link?" Kyoko raised an eyebrow.

"Hell Link?" Otome chimed in, leaning to look past Onna at Kyoko.

"Yep. It's a website you can access at midnight to send someone you hate to Hell. Maybe that's what you need to do to finally leave him." Onna sighed.

"Maybe it is. I don't know if I could actually send someone to Hell, though." She bit her lip.

"Come on. Wouldn't it be worth it? I mean, I didn't hear what you told her," Kyoko gestured toward Otome, "but it sounds like you're willing to resort to that kind of thing if you're willing to share it with a stranger." Onna opened her mouth to object, but Kyoko stopped her. "Look, it's simple. Your boyfriend is the common denominator of your problems, and you need to remove him from the equation." Before either of the other women could respond, Kyoko went back inside, leaving them speechless.

"She was just kidding about sending someone to Hell. I'm sure of it." Onna let out a chuckle, but Otome wasn't so sure.

"I'm sorry, Onna, but I need to get back to Kenji. Please excuse me." As Otome walked away, Onna smiled; she had her work cut out for her, and without even having to interfere. She jumped, however, when she saw a small, purple-eyed girl wearing a kimono balancing with one foot on the railing.

"You're going to get in trouble, old woman." Onna frowned.

"Scram. You shouldn't be here." Onna waved a hand at Kikuri, but the girl only giggled and gave her an akanbe.

"Don't say that I didn't warn you!" Kikuri jumped off the railing flipping as she did so; Onna looked over the edge just in time to see her vanish before she hit the ground. Back inside, Otome sat down by her fiancé, who was looking at a text he'd received. When she sat, he looked up at her, heavy heart immediately apparent in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I forgot a gift for one of my coworkers in the car. Excuse me." She nodded, and he kissed her on the cheek, lips barely brushing her skin. When he left, she caught sight of Onna across the room talking to Ren, the waiter. Onna's eyes met hers and reflected the same kind of pain that she saw her fiancé express on almost a daily basis. It wasn't more than a couple of minutes later that Kenji entered the room, but her muscles locked when she looked into his eyes; they were the same eyes she'd seen at dinner. He made his way straight to her, and he grabbed her arm.

"It's time to go." She offered no resistance as he led her to the elevator doors, but they both froze when a voice rang out from behind them.

"Hey! Are you two really leaving just after you got here?" They turned around, her arm still in his grip, to see Kenji's boss heading toward them. She heard Kenji let out a sigh, but he was all smiles.

"Yes, unfortunately, we are. Otome's stomach is upset and I'm going to take her home to rest."

"How thoughtful!" Miko looked Otome in the eyes. "You're a very lucky woman to be marrying a man that takes care of you like this." She nodded, but she tried to broadcast one word into his eyes: _Help._ "Well, I'll let you two get home. I'm off to entertain my guests." Kenji gave him an even bigger smile.

"Thank you for having us in your house. It was an honor to come to the party. Thank you.

"Think nothing of it. Have a good night!" They all bowed to each other, and MIko walked away, back into a group of people. Kenji took the opportunity to yank her into the elevator and close the doors. They said nothing as they descended the building and got into the car. Once the doors closed, however, Kenji let out another sigh as his hands gripped the steering wheel.

"I saw that you called your father yesterday." She hung her head.

"Yes, I did."

"What did you talk to him about?" The question almost seemed like a sentence in his flat affect.

"I only talked to him about how nervous I am for the wedding."

"Liar." He started the car and pulled away from the curb, and he drove a couple of blocks before turning into an alley. Tears started to fall from Otome's eyes.

"I swear, it's the truth."

"I take you into my house, offer to share my life with you, and give you everything you could want. How can you repay me for that with lies?"

"I swear, it's the truth." She turned her head and caught his gaze.

"If you lie, you must be punished."

"IT'S THE TRUTH!" Her words resounded in the small space, and she put a hand to her mouth immediately after she said it. Kenji's mouth was slightly agape.

"You just raised your voice to me." He raised his hand, and the last thing she saw was the world erupting in stars as the back of his hand hit her head.

When her eyes fluttered open, she heard rhythmic beeping, and it got faster when she realized where she was: a hospital room. She let out a small gasp, however, when she saw her father sitting in a chair at the bedside. He broke into a smile.

"Otome! You're awake! I'd hug you, but the doctor said your pretty badly bruised...well, all over." His smile evaporated.

"Bruised? What do you mean?" Rather than speak, he went into the bathroom and got a hand mirror to pass to her. She took it, but it fell out of her hand when she saw her reflection. Dark purple blotches covered her face, and her nose had been put in a splint. When she touched it, pain exploded in her head.

"No, no, don't touch that. The doctor said that your nose is broken." A sour taste flooded her mouth when he said that.

"What?"

"Yes, your nose is broken. Tell me something, Otome, and tell me the truth. Did Kenji do this to you?" Her lower lip trembled as she shook her head. His eyes went wide. "What? Then how did something like this happen to you?" She looked at a cabinet just behind her father.

"I don't remember." His teeth gritted behind his lips.

"I see." He looked at the ground for a moment. "I promise you that I'll take care of you, Otome. I love you." He laid a soft kiss on her forehead before gathering his belongings and leaving the room. As soon as he was gone, the floodgates burst and she turned away from the door as she started to sob. First, Kenji thought she was a liar, and now her father… She gathered the blanket covering her to her chest and kept crying.

Two days later, her father came to fetch her from the hospital, and she made sure to have makeup on; she didn't want to subject her father to the same hurt he felt every time he'd looked at her in the last couple days. They made small talk as he drove her back home, but she did everything in her power to avoid discussing the party, even though her father tried to broach the subject multiple times. As soon as he pulled up to Kenji's house, she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't worry. I'm taking care of things." She gave him a smile and got out of the car, closing the door before he had a chance to respond. When she got in the house, she didn't see her fiancé anywhere, and calling him yielded the same results. Going to the backyard, she saw the groundskeeper outside, raking leaves.

"Excuse me, but have you seen my husband?" She put a hand over her mouth when she realized her mistake. "Sorry, my husband-to-be?"

"He left around midday and hasn't returned yet." Wanyuudo kept raking as he talked, and his eyes darted over to the green eye on the house's back door.

"I see. Thank you." She bowed to him and he did the same, and she went back inside to wait for Kenji in her bedroom. Minutes turned into hours, and he still hadn't come back. She made two servings of dinner in case he showed up unannounced like he always did, but she ate alone at the dining room as the sun set. When she finished, she put his dinner into a bento box in case he wanted it for lunch the next day. When she went back to her room, hours passed as she looked out her window at the driveway, but no car pulled up to the house. Finally, she looked at the clock: 11:59 PM. As she did, something Kyoko said at the party rang through her head.

 _It's a website you can access at midnight to send someone you hate to Hell._

She double-checked the driveway before she left her room and went into Kenji's study. His laptop glided open, and her fingers flew on the keys to open Mahoo! Search.

 _Hell LInk_

She clicked the only result that popped up, and the screen went black so that a flame revealed Hell Link.

 _We will cleanse away thy bitterness._

She wasted no time in typing in Kenji's name, and a breeze blew through the room when she clicked SUBMIT. Back in her room, her phone chimed, but she jumped when she saw a girl in a black school uniform standing in a dark corner of the room.

"You called?" Otome took a few breaths to steady her heart.

"Who are you?"

"I am Enma Ai."

"Hell Girl." The words escaped her lips with a whisper.

"Wanyuudo." Otome's mouth jaw dropped as their groundskeeper materialized out of thin air.

"Yes, Miss." He disappeared, and returned as a black straw doll with a red thread around its throat in Ai's hands.

"Take this." She held it out for Otome, who took it without hesitation.

"If you really want retribution, pull the red thread. By pulling it, you will enter into a covenant with me. The object of your retribution will immediately be ferried to Hell; however, once you have your retribution, you will have to pay the price for it as well."

"What price?"

"When you curse a person, two graves are dug. After you die, your soul will also be ferried to Hell. Unable to enter Heaven, your soul will wander in torment and agony for eternity." The study burst into flames, and she felt the flames licking and charring her flesh in her very core. She let out a scream, but the next thing she knew, she was back in the study. "That's only after you die, though." Ai stepped back into the shadows and melted into them. " _The rest is for you to decide_."

Alone once again, she closed the browser on the laptop, but she caught sight of a memo in the corner of the screen: _Hotel Katashi, 10PM_. She made sure her makeup was flawless before she left the house, and in no time, she called a ride on her phone to take her to the hotel.

As soon as she walked into the lobby, she made a beeline for the front desk. Hone-Onna smiled at her, knowing that Otome wouldn't be able to recognize her in that disguise.

"Excuse me, but can you tell me which room Kenji Katashi is staying in, please?" Onna started typing on the keyboard in front of her.

"I'm very sorry, but for safety reasons, we don't give out information about our guests." It was all she could do to keep herself from mentioning her knowledge of their relationship.

"Does it help that I'm his fianceé?" Onna stopped typing.

"As a matter of fact, it does." A few keystrokes pulled up the information she needed. "He's in room 751."

"Thank you for your help." Just as she went around the desk to get to the elevator bank, she ran into a blonde American woman holding a suitcase. Otome gasped. "I'm very sorry. Please forgive me." The woman smiled.

"It's okay!" She took her suitcase to the desk, and Otome called an elevator. When the elevator arrived, she got in, her stomach turning as she pressed the button marked with a 7. In less than a minute, the doors opened to reveal a plaque with guiding arrows, and she followed one of them down a hallway. She stopped in front of room 751's door, and her heart raced as she raised a fist to knock on the door, but something made her grab the doorknob and turn it. It didn't stop the door from gliding open, and her footfalls were silent on the carpet as she crossed the threshold. Already, she could hear moans and grunts, and she felt fire flare up in her chest as she saw Kenji and a woman intertwined under the covers.

"What is going on here?!" The pair stopped and turned to look at her, and although the woman looked like she'd seen a ghost, Kenji gave her a wicked grin. Without even getting dressed, the other woman gathered her things and exited the room as quick as lightning. Kenji, on the other hand, ran into the bathroom and locked the door. Her jaw clenched as she walked over to the door and pounded on it. "GET OUT HERE, YOU BASTARD!"

She stepped back as she saw the doorknob turn, and Kenji emerged, fully dressed. The pain was back in his eyes again, but she paid it no mind.

"Could you explain to me why I just saw you in bed with another woman?" He refused to look her in the eyes; rather, he fixed his gaze on the carpet.

"I can't defend my actions."

"You're damn right you can't!" His eyes went wide as she produced the black straw doll from her purse.

"No, please. I can explain." Her fingers gripped the end of the red thread.

"How in the world can you-" The door flying open cut her sentence short, and she turned to see her father storm into the room.

"You son of a bitch. How dare you raise a hand to my daughter?!" In a split second, he pulled a blue straw doll from his jacket pocket and untied the thread.

 _I have heard your request._

The doll turned into dust and blew away, and she found herself at a loss for words when Kenji disappeared in front of her.

"Dad, why did you condemn yourself to Hell?" She bit her lower lip.

"I did it for you. I told you that I would take care of you, and I did. He'll never hurt you again." Crying, she walked over to her father and embraced him, tears staining his jacket's shoulder. She whirled around, however, when the bathroom door opened to reveal Kenji, alive and well. She took a few steps toward her fiancé.

"You act as if you've seen a ghost." He grinned and pulled out a gun from behind his back, aiming it at Otome. She closed her eyes and braced herself, but when the gun went off, she didn't feel anything. When she opened her eyes, her father fell to the floor, blood gushing from his head. She stood frozen in place as he came near.

"I don't believe we've met. I am Kinji Takahashi." He feigned surprise. "What? Kenji never told you he had a twin brother? No, I imagine he wouldn't. I punished him severely when he told me that he wanted to tell you. Just like I punished you in the car after the party." Tremors ran through her entire body. "And now, you've gotten rid of him for me. I must thank you."

He came in close and kissed her on the forehead, in the exact same spot he'd shot her father. Putting his face inches from hers, he smiled again. "My brother left me everything in his will, and I suppose that includes you now." He dropped his voice to a whisper that caressed Otome's ear.

"You're mine. Forever."


	3. Broken Love

**Episode 3:** **壊れた愛** **(Broken Love)**

In a high school classroom, the teacher's chalk scraping against the board was enough to quiet the entire class. The teacher, Mr. Sakamoto, cleared his throat and turned around.

"Now, since today is the 7th of July, I'd like to tell you the story of Tanabata. Who would like to read the passage aloud?" Hands went up at almost every desk, but Sakamoto scanned the teenagers and set his sights on a student in the back corner of the room. "Etsuji Morita? Please read the passage for the class." Etsuji shook his head and brought his focus back to the book in front of him.

"Yes, teacher." He began the tale of a man and woman, madly in love with each other; however, the woman's father, a God of the Heavens, separated them. Both of the lovers fell into a deep depression, until the God decided to allow them to meet once a year on the 7th day of the 7th month. When he finished, Sakamoto closed his book and stood in front of the class.

"Thank you, Morita-san. This story is very similar to William Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet._ " He glanced at his watch. "Okay, since class is almost over, your homework is to read _Romeo and Juliet_ and list the differences between the two stories. We'll discuss your findings tomorrow." The bell chimed and all of the students got up, except for two boys sitting in the back of the class next to each other; one of whom was Etsuji, and the other was Dai Matsuke, a boy with dark hair and brown eyes.

"Dai!" The whisper snapped Dai out of his reverie, and Etsuji handed him a folded note concealed in his palm. When he unfolded it, his face lit up.

 _Meet me at our usual spot._

 _E_

Gathering his things, Dai hurried out of the classroom and made his way to a door in a side hallway; through it, he headed over to the wall that surrounded the school, walking along it until he spotted a shed. As soon as he came around back, Etsuji swept up behind him and wrapped an arm around Dai.

"Hello there." E's lips grazed the younger boy's ear, and Dai shivered. He turned around to look into E's hazel eyes.

"Hello." Dai kissed the other boy, and E returned it. "What did you think about the assignment?" E chuckled.

"I think it's funny." Dai raised an eyebrow. "No, no, no, hear me out. I've read _Romeo and Juliet_ before. They kill themselves because their parents won't let them be together." Dai's smile flickered for a split second.

"I think it's tragic that they felt they had to go so far." His eyes fell to the ground. E put a hand under his chin and lifted it up to look him in the eye.

"Look, their romance may have been tragic, but ours isn't." He kissed Dai again. Dai let out a small sigh.

"Really? We haven't told anyone." It was E's turn to sigh.

"I know. I just…" Dai looked him in the eye again.

"Just what?"

"I just don't want you to worry about what everyone else thinks." Dai's face fell.

"Has anyone said anything?"

"This is precisely why I didn't want you to worry."

"You're right. Would you like to come over to my house after school?" E looked away, then back at Dai.

"I have practice after school."

"That's okay. I'll see you tomorrow." As Dai walked away, Etsuji looked after him with a weight on his chest. Unbeknownst to him, an old man was raking leaves not too far away, and he looked up as E walked off.

"The seeds are planted, don't you think?" Hone-Onna stepped out from behind the tree and crossed her arms.

"I think he was right about _Romeo and Juliet_."

"Which one?" Wanyuudo set his rake against the tree.

"Dai, of course."

"I figured you might take his side. Let's see how this plays out." As soon as he finished speaking, they both vanished into thin air.

The next day found Dai talking to a couple of his friends from class. One of them, Haru, glanced over at Dai with a wicked grin on his face.

"So, is it true what they're saying?" Dai refocused on the conversation.

"About what?"

"About you and Etsuji." Dai blushed.

"What about us?" The other boy, Kiro, chimed in.

"That you two are dating." Dai's face turned bright red.

"Where did you hear that?" Both Haru and Kiro laughed, but they stopped as soon as they all felt someone's gaze on them: Etsuji's. Dai looked away, but he still felt it. Haru jabbed him with a finger.

"Uh-oh, I think you might be in trouble." Dai chuckled, but his eyes locked onto the ground as he took those words in.

The rest of the day passed without incident, and Dai gathered his things as a chime signaled the end of class for the day. His stomach was in knots as he made his way down the hallway to the front doors of the school, and he looked around as soon as he got outside. The coast seemed clear, but he froze when he saw Etsuji standing under a tree. E gave him a crooked smile and gave a gesture with this thumb; its meaning was all too clear.

 _Let's go to our usual spot._

He altered his course and rounded the corner, making sure nobody was watching before he went to the shed. E smiled as soon as he came around back, but it faded as soon as he stood in front of Etsuji. Dai opened his mouth, but stopped mid-breath when he looked at E's face again.

"I'm sorry." His shoulders dropped and he took a couple steps back. E crossed his arms.

"About what?" Dai cocked his head.

"What do you mean? Didn't you hear what we were saying in class?" E grit his teeth.

"Of course I did." Dai flinched. "Did you tell them?" Dai's eyes went wide.

"No! Of course I didn't!" E took a couple steps toward Dai. A few seconds of silence passed, and Dai didn't even have time to blink before E's fist collided with his eye. Time seemed to stop for a second before gravity took hold and brought him crashing to the ground. When the world came back into focus, he didn't make a sound as tears fell down his face. Dai's mouth opened, but E put up a finger to stop him.

"If I _ever_ find out that you told anyone else, I'll beat you worse than this." With that, E turned and walked off, using his undershirt to wipe Dai's blood off of his knuckles. As he walked away, the ethereal eye watching the whole thing closed and Ren rematerialized.

"Damn. I was hoping it wouldn't come to that." Ren felt the hair on the back of his neck stood up as Ai approached him from behind.

"This is only the beginning."

At home, Dai sat on his bed, fingertips clutching a photograph of him and Etsuji. He took a deep breath and dropped it on the floor before lying down. His eye was purple and tender, and he picked up the ice pack sitting next to him and put it on his face. The cold started to diminish the swelling, but the hurt went deeper than that. Gritting his teeth, he picked the picture up, crumpled the photo and threw it at the wall. It bounced into the trash can, and he smiled for the first time that day.

The next day, Dai went to his locker before class, but his hand froze on the combination dial as he caught a glimpse of a piece of paper sticking out from one of the vents. Looking around, he slid it out of the slot and folded it open. A cute drawing of a panda with a word bubble that said "I'm sorry" adorned the top, and he read the text below it.

 _I'm sorry for what happened yesterday._

 _I know that sorry isn't good enough, but I hope you can forgive me._

 _Love,_

 _E_

Heat started building in his chest, and he turned around and looked at the doorway to his homeroom. Gripping the note, he took purposeful strides down the hallway and stopped in the door. E was already there, chatting with friends before class. He walked right over and almost slammed the note down on the table in front of Etsuji.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Dai crossed his arms, and E's eyes went wide.

"What do you mean?" E's gaze darted between his friends.

"That's your handwriting, E." One of them picked up the note, and E's face flushed red for a moment. He got up and grabbed Dai's arm; the pain from his grip caught Dai off guard.

"Let's go." The students' mouths hung open as E jerked Dai out of the classroom. Nobody paid them any mind as they went down the hallway, and the students' chatter grew distant as they went to their usual spot.

E glared at Dai, but Dai sent it right back at him.

"What did I tell you last time?"

"I don't care." E looked as if he'd been struck, but he narrowed his eyes.

"I'm glad you don't care. You probably don't care about what's going to happen next, do you?" Dai shook his head, and a tear ran down his cheek. "Good." E took a few steps forward, and his fist connected with Dai's stomach. The air escaped him all at once, and he hunched over, arms grabbing his abdomen. E took the opportunity to land an uppercut on Dai's nose, and Dai's head snapped back, sendling droplets of blood everywhere.

"Fight back!" E's foot landed in Dai's stomach, and Dai stumbled back, arms unable to steady him before he fell backward onto the ground. E kicked him in the face this time, and blood began gushing from his nose. Dai looked at the ground, then back up at Etsuji. E picked him up by the collar and struck him in the face again, making his cheek go purple. Dai spit out a couple teeth and started crying, still not making a sound or saying a word. One more uppercut to the jaw laid him out, and he laid on the ground, ragged breaths escaping from his lips.

"If you ever talk to me again, I'll kill you." Dai turned his head and spit out blood.

 _Good. I'd rather die._

Later that night, the moon rode high in the sky as Dai sat by his computer. His mouse cursor hovered over a 404 page, and he peeked at the clock: 11:59PM. Out of nowhere, his screen went black and a flame flared to life before revealing a text box. He wasted no time.

 _Etsuji Morita_.

No sooner did he hit the SUBMIT button then he felt someone in the room with him. When he turned around, a girl in a school uniform with pale skin and red eyes stood before him. The room turned into a twilit field with a lone tree, and the girl stepped forward.

"I am Ai Enma. You summoned me here. Ichimokuren." Ren appeared out of thin air and bowed.

"Yes, Miss." He vanished and reappeared as a blue straw doll in her hand.

"Take this." He did.

"If you really want retribution, pull the red thread. By pulling it, you will enter into a covenant with me. The object of your retribution will immediately be ferried to Hell; however, once you have your retribution, you will have to pay the price for it as well."

"When you curse a person, two graves are dug. After you die, your soul will also be ferried to Hell. Unable to enter Heaven, your soul will wander in torment and agony for eternity. That's only after you die, though."

" _The rest is for you to decide_." She disappeared and he was back in his room. As soon as the silence set back in, he pulled the thread. With a smile on his face, he went into the bathroom and turned the bathtub faucet on. As soon as it was half full, he turned off the water and stood up. Going over to the cabinet, he removed a razor blade. Although it was clean, this wasn't the first time he'd used it. He went over to the bathtub again and kneeled by it, taking a deep breath. His skin split easily at the blade's touch, and he lowered his hand into the water. As the water turned red, he slumped over the side of the tub and closed his eyes.

On the other side of town, Etsuji, unable to sleep, had taken a walk to a local park. He looked up at the night sky, trying to hold back tears. A breeze meandered through the park, tousling his hair, and he caught sight of someone walking down a path nearby. He could make out the woman's blonde hair, and the world seemed to freeze. The woman looked his way just in time to see him disappear.

Dai awakened to the sound of wood creaking, and he opened his eyes. A black river punctuated by lanterns stretched as far as the eye could see, and he noticed a hand by his side. E lay on the floor of the rowboat, eyes staring into the endless void above them. He looked at Ai, then back down at Etsuji. His hand caressed the other boy's, and it twitched in response. Dai smiled.

"Now we'll be in Hell together. Forever."


	4. Mom

**Episode 4:** **お母さん** **(Mom)**

"Tell me more about what happened."

The ceiling fan hummed above two people in the relatively sterile office. Off-white walls hemmed in a couch and a desk, and aside from a couple of potted plants, there wasn't anything to draw the eye. The person on the couch, a woman of 33, tried to get more comfortable; from where she was sitting, the doctor behind the desk, although young, looked a bit intimidating.

"Well, it was my birthday party. She'd offered to have it at her house because she wanted to bake the cake, too, and she made sure to invite my friends and co-workers." The woman sighed. "When she gave me a present, I opened it and I realized that she got me a large sweater."

"Why was that an issue?"

"Because after she gave it to me, she mentioned that she had a hard time finding one big enough to fit me. In front of _everybody_." She grit her teeth behind her lips as a tear fell down her face. "She always makes comments like that, especially around other people. What do I do, Dr. Ren?"

"Sayako, you've been coming to me for seven years. If there was an easy way, we wouldn't be sitting here right now." She sniffled and nodded.

"I know, but part of me just can't…" The doctor raised an eyebrow.

"Can't what?"

"I can't just cut her out of my life, doctor. She said- she said that if I move out, she'll disinherit me and I'll be on the street. I have nowhere else to go." She started crying again, and he slid a box of tissues to her across his desk. "I feel _trapped_." She took a tissue and wiped her eyes; her eyeliner and mascara stained the paper.

"That's perfectly understandable. I sensed a bit of hesitation when you told me that you can't just cut her out of your life. Was I reading too much into it?" She shook her head.

"No, I...there was something else I wanted to say, but I couldn't. I don't want you to think that I'm stupid or anything." Tears ran anew down her cheeks.

"Don't worry, Sayako. There's no judgment here. You can say anything that you feel comfortable telling me."

"Well, I can't just cut her out of my life because...because I still care about her. Even though she does the things I've told you about, I still care about her. There must be something wrong with me."

"Would you think it strange if I told you that there's not?" She stopped crying and looked him in the eye.

"There's not?" Her voice was tinged with something Ren hadn't heard in a long time: hope.

"No, Sayako. There's not. It's very common for children to still care about their parents, even if the parents are abusive. I think it speaks volumes about their capacity for compassion. I don't think that it means something's wrong with them, but it's a very heavy burden to bear. After all, they're only human."

"I...didn't know that."

"Now that you do, has your perspective on the situation changed?" She nodded, a small smile lighting across her lips. "Good. Do you feel like you're in a better place than you were when you came in?" Her nod was more enthusiastic. "Very good, Sayako. I think we've made progress here." He started a little when a series of beeps pierced the air. "It looks like our time is up for today, but same time next week?"

"Yes, Dr. Ren." She got up and bowed. "Thank you so much for your help."

"You're very welcome. I'll see you next week." She wiped away a few tears as she walked out of the office, but she wore a smile as she did so. The doctor's receptionist smiled at her, but the smile vanished when Sayako walked out of the office's front door. She straightened up when Ren poked his head out of his office.

"Onna, would you mind adding an appointment next week for Ms. Yamamura?" Hone-Onna smiled as she turned to her computer.

"Of course...doctor."

When Sayako got home, she removed her shoes and put on her slippers, looking at the end of the entryway; the kitchen light was on, and she could hear someone moving around.

"Sayako?" A voice floated out of the kitchen. "Is that you?" Sayako took a shuddering breath.

"Yes...mother. It's me."

"Good! You're just in time for dinner."

"Okay. I'm going to go put my things in my room." She wasted no time in going down the hall and closing her bedroom door behind her. She sat down on her bed and buried her face in her hands, but she looked up as the door opened a second later. Etsuko Yamamura, an imposing woman of 53, stood in the doorway, and her eyes narrowed.

"Dinner is ready."

"Yes, mother." She followed the woman into the dining room just off the kitchen and took a seat at the table. Her mother retreated to the kitchen for a moment and returned with two steaming serving dishes; she set them down and took the seat opposite her daughter. Sayako reached for the serving spoon resting on top of the dish of chicken curry, but Etsuko slapped her hand.

"You always serve yourself too much food. Maybe that's why you weigh as much as you do." Sayako's cheeks burned, but she pulled her hand back and allowed her mother to put a modest portion on her plate, along with a small serving of rice from the other dish. "There. If you eat like this more often, it will be good for you." Sayako said nothing as she picked up her chopsticks and began to eat, but this earned a glare from Etsuko. "Try not to eat so quickly this time. The food isn't going anywhere." Sayako struggled to hold back her tears as she carefully timed the bites she took.

"So, where did you go today? You didn't have to work." Etsuko glanced at her daughter before looking back down at the table.

"I was at the library." Her mother clucked her tongue.

"Do you think you'll find a husband at the library?" Sayako's cheeks flushed.

"I wasn't looking for a husband at the library." Her mother let out a lone chuckle.

"With that attitude, you'll be lucky to find one at all." Sayako slammed her chopsticks onto the table.

"Excuse me." Before her mother could object, she went into her room and closed the door. She took a seat on her bed and tried to meter her breathing like Dr. Ren taught her, but the red in her cheeks didn't go away. She didn't come out of her room, nor did her mother bother her for the rest of the evening.

The next morning found Sayako leaving for work, but as she was getting ready, she looked in the mirror. She touched the dark circles under her eyes, and she almost didn't recognize the woman staring back at her. After her father's death seven years ago, she had moved back in with her mother to help her financially. Before that, her face looked more radiant, her brown eyes sparkling with life. Now, the sparkle had dulled and she could see what was really behind them: a soul eaten away by malice.

Taking a breath, she picked up her mobile phone and dialed Human Resources at work.

"Good morning! How can I assist you today?"

"This is Sayako Yamamura. I'm very sorry, but I can't come to work today. I've contracted a stomach virus."

"I'm very sorry to hear that. I will inform your supervisor. Thank you for notifying us."

"Thank you. Good bye."

She straightened her outfit and went outside her room. Of course, her mother was sitting at the dining room table, and she did her best not to make eye contact as she walked by.

"Are you leaving for work?" The words stopped Sayako in her tracks.

"Yes. I'll be back at 6."

"I'll see you then." Sayako left the house with a sour feeling in her stomach, but it vanished as soon as she was outside. She walked down the block to the bus stop she normally boarded at, and the bus showed up exactly on time as usual. When she stepped onto the bus, she inserted her fare, thanked the driver, and took a seat.

The streets of Tokyo passed in a blur, and she took her phone out of her pocket to check it. There weren't any messages yet, but she couldn't help but worry that there might be some coming later. A few stops later, well before the stop next to her office building, she caught a glimpse of a cafe and pulled the cord to request a stop. The bus stopped right outside the cafe, and she steadied the slight tremble in her hands as she went inside.

At 9:30 on a weekday morning, the cafe was relatively quiet, as most people were already at work. The woman behind the counter smiled at her arrival.

"Good morning! How can I help you?" Sayako studied the menu for a moment.

"I would like a cappuccino, please." She paid the cashier and took her receipt to a table to sit down. a few seconds passed, and her face started to get hot. Trying to breathe deeply to stop her eyes from welling up, she used a napkin from the table's dispenser to blot her eyes. That wasn't enough, however, and tears started to slide down her cheeks. Looking around for a moment, she put her head down and shielded her face with her arms. Years of dealing with her mother had given her a talent for crying quietly, and she started when someone touched her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Sayako looked up to see, of all people, a blonde American woman, speaking Japanese. She wiped her eyes.

"Oh, yes. I'm sorry for any disturbance." The other woman smiled.

"It's no disturbance at all. Here, let me buy your coffee." The blonde put 400 yen on the table and walked out of the cafe's front doors before she could say anything. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she slipped the notes into her purse and left the shop. She smiled when the sunshine touched her face, and she set off down the street.

After spending the day at her favorite bookstore, The Book Garden, she went to the park and sat on a bench, people watching. A few hours passed, and she checked her phone, but her heart skipped when she saw only a black screen. The power button did nothing, and she mentally cursed as she got up from the bench to get home. She strode briskly across the park just in time to catch the bus that normally took her home from work.

It dropped her off at the stop down the street from her house, and she swallowed a lump in her throat when she opened the front door of her mother's house. As soon as she was inside, she took off her shoes, slid into her slippers, and went into the kitchen. Per usual, her mother was cooking dinner.

"Hello." Etsuko turned around from the stove.

"You're home, Sayako. How was work?" Her mother's expression was calm, but almost eerily so.

"It was good. I got a lot done."

"Do you work at the Book Garden now?" Etsuko's grip tightened on the wooden spoon she held.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean!" The sharp increase in her mother's volume made Sayako jump. "Someone from The Book Garden called and said that you left your wallet there." When Sayako said nothing, Etsuko threw the wooden spoon at the wall next to her head. Sayako didn't move, but tears started falling from her eyes. "How dare you lie to me in my own house?!"

She took a few steps and stopped inches away from her daughter. "You ingrate. You'll spend the night in your room without supper. You don't want to find out what will happen if you come out of your room before morning." Rather than arguing, she ran into her room and slammed the door closed. Although she spent the rest of the night crying, her mother still didn't bother her.

Reaching under her bed, she produced a photograph of a man in his late 50's, kind features beaming at her from the paper.

"Dad, I miss you. I wish you were still alive instead of-" She stopped herself, but one look toward the door threw that notion out the window. "I wish you were alive instead of her." Clutching the photograph to her chest, she lay down in bed and eventually drifted off to sleep amid hunger pangs.

The next morning, she woke to her door opening, and the world swam into focus to reveal her mother standing in her doorway. Etsuko turned her head to the room behind her.

"She's in here." Before Sayako could say anything, three men in security uniforms came into her room and immediately grabbed her.

"What? What's going on?! LET ME GO!" Sayako thrashed in their grip, but one of them stuck a needle in her arm. In seconds, she could feel warmth flooding her body and making her drowsy. "Mother, why?" Etsuko stepped over to her daughter as Sayako's body started to go limp, but she didn't say anything. When Etsuko nodded, the men took Sayako out of the house and into an unmarked van outside.

Sayako awoke later that night strapped to a bed that wasn't her own. The sterile room around her seemed to close in, and her gaze snapped to the door as an old man in white scrubs walked in.

"Hello, Miss Yamamura. I'm Wanyuudo, an orderly here at the hospital. I've brought a doctor in to visit you." He bowed as another man walked in: Dr. Ren. His brow knit when he saw the straps holding her down.

"My God, what have they done to you?" He walked over to the bedside and undid the straps. "You're not a danger to yourself or others. I have no idea why they strapped you down."

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He glanced over to her as he stepped around to the foot of the bed to get her chart. "Don't try to talk." He read the chart, eyes going wide. "They have you on a _lot_ of sedative. It says here that you attacked your mother and tried to kill yourself."

Although she couldn't express it, her heart felt like it was in a vise.

"I don't buy that for a minute. Your mother gave this statement. I don't see any evidence of a suicide attempt." He put the chart back on the foot of the bed. "I'm going to get you out of here as soon as I can. I'll be back when I find out." With that, he turned and left the room, seeing Hone-Onna on the other side as soon as he closed it.

"So, what did you find out?" She smiled, but it faded as soon as she saw his face.

"I need you to check up on her mother. Take pictures." She nodded and rounded the corner, vanishing as soon as she did.

In mere seconds, Onna appeared outside the Yamamura house. One look around told her that nobody would bother her, and she turned around to peer in the window. Inside, an older woman sat on a couch, drinking tea, and Onna felt heat building in her chest. A few taps on her mobile screen got the pictures she needed, and she took a breath before disappearing.

Ren sat up from the bed in the on-call room as Onna reappeared next to him, and he stretched as he stood up. "What did you find out?"

Onna held out her phone. "See for yourself." He scrolled through six different photos, all showing a woman that bore no marks that would indicate an attack. He sent the photos to his phone and gave it back to her.

"I knew it. She'll be out of here in no time."

As Ren made his way to the hospital Director's office, Sayako's heart almost stopped when something materialized from the shadows in the corner of the room. A schoolgirl in a black uniform, probably no more than 14, stepped out of the darkness; the girl's red eyes settled on her, and she felt the gaze from Ai's red eyes boring into her. Ai seemed to glide to the bedside, and Sayako felt silence settle in as the girl leaned over her. Every muscle in Sayako's body tensed up when Ai gently kissed her, but the world around her swam back into focus as she felt the girl breathing in, taking the haze she'd been in since she'd woken up with it. Without a word, Ai glided backwards and faded back into the shadows.

As soon as she did, Ren came back in the room. "Are you feeling any better?" Still unable to speak, she nodded. "Good. However, I have bad news. Involuntary holds usually last 72 hours, but under the law, the Director was only able to reduce it to 48 hours, so I wasn't able to get you out sooner than that. Not to worry; we can make sure you're comfortable for the evening." He opened the door and turned back to look at her. "If you need anything, Wanyuudo will take care of it. Just press the call button on the remote." As he left, his jacket brushed the door, knocking his phone out of his pocket. It hit the floor just as the door closed, and she eyed it as it lied there.

It didn't take her long to get up and retrieve the phone; to her surprise, the screen wasn't damaged from the fall. When she picked up the remote on the bedside table, her finger hovered over the call button, but she set it down and slid the phone under her blanket.

Something buzzing under her blanket woke her up in the middle of the night, and her hand managed to find the phone next to her leg. A glance at the screen told her that it was midnight, but when she rubbed her eyes, she saw words on the screen that made her look twice:

 _We will take revenge on your behalf._

Her heart beat like a drum, but she tapped the text box and entered a name: _Etsuko Yamamura_. She let out a sigh as she let her arm drop to the bed; she knew what page the phone had accessed, but something held her back from pressing SUBMIT. When she picked up the phone again, she noticed a notification in the top of the screen: 6 photos downloaded to the phone. She tapped the notification and the photos appeared on the screen, all of her mother at the house, but she didn't look like she'd been attacked.

 _Your mother gave this statement._

 _It says here that you attacked your mother…_

As tears streamed down her face, she opened the browser and pressed SUBMIT. The shadows in the room stirred again and the schoolgirl materialized again.

"You called?" Sayako nodded. "Wanyuudo."

The orderly appeared next to her and bowed. "Yes, Miss." In seconds, he transformed into the black straw doll in Ai's hands. She held it out to Sayako.

"Take this." Sayako reached up and grasped the doll.

"If you really want retribution, pull the red thread. By pulling it, you will enter into a covenant with me. The object of your retribution will immediately be ferried to Hell; however, once you have your retribution, you will have to pay the price for it as well."

"Price?"

"When you curse a person, two graves are dug. After you die, your soul will also be ferried to Hell. Unable to enter Heaven, your soul will wander in torment and agony for eternity. That's only after you die, though." Sayako's gaze fell to the phone and the photos that were on the screen again.

"I don't care."

"Very well." The room went silent again as Ai became one with the shadows again, and Sayako's fingers dug into the straw doll as she concealed it under the blanket.

The next day, she ate an awful breakfast and an even more awful lunch, punctuated by bouts of staring at the wall and gripping the straw doll. Around 3, Dr. Ren walked in the room with a smile on his face.

"Good news. I have your discharge papers and you can go home." His brow furrowed when he saw her face. "How do you feel?" She looked down at the bed before she looked at him.

"What if I don't want to go home?"

"I understand why you feel that way, but you have to get out of here. Most people never know when they're getting out, if at all. They can hold you here indefinitely if they want." She let out a sigh before she got up. He held out a bag with her personal effects; she took it and got up, waiting for him to leave before she got dressed.

She left as soon as she signed her discharge papers, and she stopped outside to call a taxi. A car honked its horn, and she looked up to see her mother waving at her. Sayako didn't move, and Etsuko started to make her way over to her daughter; it was then that she saw a taxi dropping someone off and got in, giving the driver her address. Etsuko watched as the taxi pulled away.

Back at the Yamamura house, Sayako went straight into her room and pulled out a suitcase from her closet. She put all of the clothes hanging in the closet into a pile on her bed, and she went to work packing all of it. A few minutes later, she heard the front door open and close, then a call for her from her mother. After another call went unanswered, the door to her room opened and Etsuko stood there, arms crossed.

"What's with the theatrics this time? Are you running away?" If looks could kill, the one Sayako gave her would have vaporized her mother.

"You lied to the hospital! The doctor had photos! You were fine!" The color drained in Etsuko's face, and she grit her teeth.

"You were going to therapy behind my back, weren't you?" Sayako stopped and turned around.

"How did you know that?"

"I found a receipt from one of your sessions in your room."

"It figures that you found it by snooping."

Etsuko chuckled. "Yes, and it also figures that this is the thanks I get for everything I've done for you."

"Are you kidding me? You're the reason I went to therapy!"

"If you need to go to therapy because of me, then you clearly needed that time in the hospital." Sayako's jaw hit the floor.

"You know what, mother? Go to Hell!" Sayako produced the straw doll from behind her back and pulled the red thread. Before her mother could say anything, Etsuko vanished before her eyes.

 _Your request has been accepted._

The straw doll dissolved into nothingness, and she felt a burning on her chest. When she pulled her shirt down, she saw a mark that looked like a tattoo.

"I'll see you there."

When Etsuko came to, she saw an endless black expanse around her as the boat she was in coasted through the water. She turned around to see a woman of about 60 rowing the boat with a long stick. The woman looked down at her and smiled.

"Well, well, well, it looks like you ended up exactly where you told me I'd end up." Etsuko's eyes went wide.

"Mother? What are you doing here?" Her mother smiled before she turned back into Ai. The girl's red eyes regarded her for a moment.

"Your mother is there as well."

A bell tolled as the boat went under an enormous black Torii gate, and Etsuko felt the fog around her close in and consume her.


End file.
